Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian School Structural Failure Fatalities Increases to 54
News Agency
The death count from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has escalated to 54, according to authorities, with emergency responders still looking for more than a dozen missing individuals.
Hundreds students, mostly teenage boys, had gathered for prayers at the Islamic boarding school in East Java when the building gave way while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the nation's most fatal disaster in 2025. Rescue personnel are expected to conclude their search operation for 13 victims trapped under debris by day's end.
Probe Ongoing into Collapse Cause
Authorities are still examining the reason behind the structural failure. Certain authorities suggested the two-level structure collapsed due to an inadequate base.
"Out of all the catastrophes in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there hasn't been as many dead victims as the ones in Sidoarjo," stated a deputy from the disaster mitigation agency during a press conference.
The overall number includes at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but subsequently died in medical care.
School Background and Oversight Issues
The institution is a conventional religious educational center in Indonesia, referred to as a pesantren.
Numerous pesantren function without formal oversight, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the institution had proper authorization to conduct additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the way the structure collapsed, leaving only tight spaces for rescuers to maneuver within, authorities reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Survivors have shared their harrowing escape experiences with regional news outlets.
One 13-year-old survivor recalled first "noticing the noise of falling rocks", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent immediately ran for the doorway, and while he managed to escape, he was injured by collapsing materials from the roof.
